Kyle South is the reason that the Alabama Legislature has no authority over the Alabama High School Athletic Association.
South, a Republican state representative from Fayette, announced on Wednesday that he would be filing legislation that, if passed, would give the state legislature and the Alabama Department of Education some oversight of AHSAA rulings and governance.
Except … they can’t.
The AHSAA, in its current form, was established by a federal court order in 1968. That order gives it unique standing and authority, specifically removing it from the reaches of misguided, misinformed, overzealous and downright ignorant politicians motivated by personal interests, personal gain and personal relationships.
In other words, it is protected from politicians like Kyle South and the 87 House members who have signed on as co-sponsors to an unwritten piece of legislation. (Which tells you a lot about Alabama. We have raw sewage causing 19th century parasites to return in Lowndes County, and not whimper, but someone not being able to play a game draws three-quarters of the House.)
It’s not hard to understand why South and so many other politicians are up in arms about the Maori Davenport situation. When you’ve lived your life governed by the Alabama Ethics Commission and working in the most corrupt state house in America, it must be quite the shock to the system to see a governing body actually uphold rules and apply them properly.
That’s what happened in Davenport case.
In case you’re somehow unaware, Maori Davenport is the now-famous high school player from Troy’s Charles Henderson High who was ruled ineligible by the AHSAA for accepting and cashing an $857.20 check mistakenly sent to her by USA Basketball. The check was compensation for her time playing for the US U18 national team, which was supposed to only be sent to college players, but was inadvertently sent to the three high school players.
Everyone involved in this, including officials from the AHSAA who I’ve spoken with, believe Davenport to be an innocent victim of a series of poor choices and bad mistakes. But in the end, the AHSAA found that the actions of Davenport’s mother violated the state’s amateurism rule. It ruled Maori Davenport ineligible and that ruling was unanimously upheld by two different committees — following hours of hearings — made up of 19 principals, athletic directors and superintendents from districts all around Alabama.
You would think that such widespread agreement among lifelong educators — the overwhelming majority of whom wouldn’t know Maori Davenport if she was standing in the room next to them — would cause elected leaders to pause and wonder if maybe they don’t know the entire story before jumping on this bandwagon.
But then, why take that time when there’s so much free PR out there?
Had they bothered to take any time, or to, say, call any of the board members and ask questions, phone up the AHSAA and talk to executive director Steve Savarese, what they would have heard was a story much different than the one presented in most media stories, and particularly the one presented by ESPN’s Jay Bilas.
That’s not entirely the media’s fault. The AHSAA can’t officially discuss most of what led to its decision to suspend Davenport, which leaves media outlets with one side screaming about unfair treatment and the other side sitting behind bland, lawyered-up statements.
But on background, and under their breath, and in quiet voices, many of the people directly involved in this case are happy to talk — eager to talk. And what they’ll tell you, and show you, are facts that explain their unanimous votes.
These people who work for the AHSAA and serve on their boards didn’t ask for the unending downpour of stupidity that is falling on them. But they’re fairly used to it at this point. They get it constantly for doing a thankless job that often allows incompetent or corrupt coaches and parents to hide from the blame that come from situations like Davenport’s.
Situations in which parents and coaches and principals fail miserably and intentionally, and then blame the AHSAA for hurting the player.
And right on cue, here comes a pandering bunch of politicians, smelling easy votes like sharks smell blood, working on half information and full emotion.
Which is exactly why the AHSAA isn’t beholden to the state legislature. It’s one of the main reasons it still functions semi-effectively.
